Joint injuries typically involve damage to the bones and/or tendons that form the joint. This damage can range from bone chips to tears to simple wear. In the case of bone chips or wear, it is often necessary to repair the damage by replacing the missing bone material. This has been typically accomplished by attaching an implant over the defect that replicates the original bone structure.
A promising method of repairing bone damage is the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). PRP is obtained from the blood of blood donors. Previous studies have mixed PRP with a demineralized bone matrix, placed the resulting compound in a capsule, and then inserted the capsule near the bone in need of repair. Unfortunately, these studies have found the process to be largely unsuccessful at rebuilding bone structure.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention, which refers to the accompanying drawings.